Spring-shackle.



No. 787,288. PATENTED APR. 11, 1905. F. E. GEIBEL.

SPRING SHAGKLB.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 9. 1904..

Patented April 11, 1905.

PATENT @FFTCE.

FRED E. GEIBEL, OF MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA.

SPRING-SHACKLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 787,288, dated April11, 1905.

Application filed eptember 9, 1904. Serial No. 223,851.

To (1]! 1071/0121. it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, FRED E. GEIBEL, a citizen of the United States,residing in Montgomery, county of Montgomery, State of Alabama, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-Shackles; and 1do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to spring-shackles for vehicles which shallpermit of the elongation and contraction of the spring, thus providingan easy-riding spring which will be less liable to snap or break thanthe ordinary rigidlyconnected springs and also one which will neitherwork loose nor rattle.

To this end the invention consists in certain features of constructionand combination of parts, as will be fully described, and pointed out inthe claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in plan of the underframe of anordinary vehicle, showing the front and rear axles and the two sidesprings attached thereto by means of my improved shackles. Fig. 2 is aside elevation of one of the springs and its shackles detached. Fig. 3is an end view, in elevation, of one of the shackles detached. Fig. A isa side view, partly in section, of one of the shackles detached, showingin full lines a portion of the spring in its normal position and indotted lines its position when weighted. Fig. 5 is a detached view inelevation of the two members of the shackle-link; and Fig. 6 is a sideview, partly in section, of a modified form of shackle.

Referring to the drawings, (2 denotes the body of the shackle, this bodybeing in the form of a yoke having a base 6, provided with integraldepending screw-bolts c c, which embrace the axle-stock (I. The boltsextend a sutiicient distance below the axle-stock to receive thefollower-plate c, which is perforated for that purpose, the yoke beingclamped in position upon the axle-stock between the base of said yokeand the plate 6 and held in such clamped position by means of the nutsff, screwed upon the ends of the bolts c. The

arms g/ of the yoke are preferably made integral with the base 7). Theyproject upward from the base substantially parallel one with the otherand the arms for the two springs of each shackle extending inwardlytoward each other, as shown in Figs. 2 and st, so as to bring the pointof suspension of the links '1' 1" inside of the vertical plane of theshackles, and the links I and extending laterally away from each otherand normally (that is, when the springs are not weighted) hanging at anangle of about thirty degrees from a vertical plane through the point ofsuspension.

A link or member of the shackle is provided, which loosely supported ona bolt 7/, that passes through and is secured in the free ends of thearms r/ of the yoke. The link consists of the two members i 1", eachhaving an inwardly-projecting half-sleeve through which the said bolt lbpasses for connecting the two members together and securing theshacklelink to its support and the member 5 having the pivot-pin jformed integral therewith, the free end of the pivot-pin being so formedas to enter the perforated end of the member '5 and be upset therein, sothat the two members are held rigidly together in substantially thepositions shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

The spring X, which is of the usual form, is here shown as provided withan eye transversely of its end, which is adapted to be litted upon thepivot-pin j of the shackle-link. The springs when properly mounted inplace upon the vehicle normally take a position substantially that shownin full lines in Fig. 2, in which position they are of the same lengthas the distance between the centers of theaxles. However, when thesprings are weighted they will take a position substantially as shown bydotted lines in the same figure, thus lengthening the springs andforcing the shackle-links at the ends of each spring in oppositedirections, and thereby tightening the connections between the shacklesand the springs, which prevents any rattling of the ditferent parts.

It is to be noted, as has heretofore been stated, that the shackle-links'1 and f extend laterally away from each other and normally hang at anangle of about thirty degrees from a vertical plane through theirrespective points of suspension, which position is the I00 position theytake when the vehicle-springs are not weighted, and it will also benoted that as soon as the springs are weighted the links take apositionsubstantially as shown in dotted lines in Figs. 4 and 6, in whichposition they project at an angle of about forty-five degrees from thevertical through the points of suspension. In this last-mentionedposition of the links the ends of the springs will lie very near thehorizontal plane, passing through the points of suspension, and fromthis it will be seen that very little, if any, longitudinal movement ofthe springs in one direction or the other can occur. It will be furthernoted that in respect to Fig. 2 the points of suspension of the linksand a" are inside the vertical plane of the shackles and that the end ofthe springs normally lie in vertical planes passing centrally throughthe axles and shackles. Thus it will be seen that as the vehicle isweighted the ends of the springs will be carried outside the verticalplane of the shackles and axles, so that -the pull on either side of theaxle will be the same and the axle prevented from partially rotatingwhen the vehicle is weighted, which would otherwise give unnecessaryWear and tear to the axles.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings is shown a somewhat modified form of shacklewherein the arms 9 g of the yoke extend in a horizontal directioninstead of a vertical one, and this is for the purpose of providing forthe mounting of the springs nearer the ground. In other respects theshackle is identical with that heretofore described, and it is to benoted that the arms 9 g in this construction do not project straightoutfrom the shackle, but extend upwardly, so as to bring the point ofsuspension of the links z a" above and out of the central plane ofattachment of the shackle to the axle.

It is apparent that in carrying out my invention some changes from thecombinations herein shown and described may be made, and I wouldtherefore have it understood that I do not limit myself to the precisedetails herein illustrated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A shackle forvehicle-springs, comprising a yoke adapted for attachment to the axleand a spring-supporting link suspended from a pivot-pin in the arms ofthe yoke, said link consisting of two side pieces each having aninwardly-projecting half-sleeve at its upper end, and a pivot-pin forthe spring secured pivot-pin in the arms of the yoke, said linkconsisting of two side pieces each having an inwardly-projectinghalf-sleeve at its upper end, and one of said pieces having a pivot-pinfor the spring formed integrally therewith and adapted to connect withthe other piece.

3. A shackle for vehicle-springs, consisting of the yoke 5, having arms9, g, projecting outward and laterally therefrom, a springsupportinglink suspended from the yokearms by a pin it, and a pin j at the lowerend of the link for connection to the vehiclespring, said linkconsisting of side pieces z', z", each having integrally formedtherewith a half-sleeve bearing for the pin it, and the pin beingintegrally formed with one of said side pieces and fitting in an eye inthe other.

4. In a side spring-vehicle, the combination with the axles, of avehicle-spring, shackles comprising yokes projecting upwardly from thesaid axles and extending laterally inward toward each other, and alongitudinal spring suspended at each end by links from the inturnedends of the yoke-arms, said links depending at an angle to the verticalso that normally the ends of the spring will lie in vertical planespassing centrally through the axle and shackles.

5. In a vehicle-spring, the combination with the axles, of shacklessecured to the axles, and a longitudinal spring suspended at each end bya link from the shackle so that normally the ends of the spring will beoutside of vertical planes passing centrally through the points ofsuspension of the links, whereby as the spring is weighted the ends willmove' still farther outward from these vertical planes and at the sametime be lifted into close proximity to the horizontal plane through thepoints of suspension.

6. In a vehicle-spring, the combination with the axles, of shacklescomprising yokes projecting upwardly from said axles and extendinglaterally inward toward each other, springsupporting links suspendedfrom the yokearms at points inside the center line of the shackles, anda spring suspended at each end by the links so that normally the ends ofthe spring will be in vertical planes passing centrally through theaxles and shackles, but when the spring is weighted its ends will becarried outside the vertical plane of the axles and shackles, therebyequalizing the weight on both sides of the axle.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRED E. GEIBEL.

Witnesses:

FRED S. BALL. DAVID W. W. FULLER.

ITO

